Springfield animal rescue needs help after bringing in abused pets

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Rescue One in Springfield is asking for help after rescuing several abused pets from the same home where Leslie, the dog with a swastika was found.

The pets were rescued from a home in Mount Vernon, where Rescue One says, a man had killed seven cats this month, but an injured cat and four other dogs were rescued. The dogs are relatives of Leslie.

Now, the animal rescue is asking for donations and for people to foster or come and adopt their animals. Michele Rehkop, the Rescue One Adoptions Coordinator, said over the past year there has been a bigger influx of animals needing to be rescued or rehomed.

“It’s just been a systemic problem in the area and across the state,” Rehkop said. “Our numbers are in the 500′s whereas a year or two ago we were operating at about 350 cats and dogs, now we’ve jumped,” she said.

Rehkop said the rescue is foster-based which means it does not have a shelter setting.

“With fosters, we can only put so many dogs in new homes that the family is able to manage, and a lot of the dogs we get do have special needs and a history of not being able to be with other dogs.”

She said if there is a foster home opening for a dog specifically, but the dog cannot be around other dogs, or men, children, cats, etc., then the dog can’t go there. Rehkop also said when the abused dogs came in on Thursday, it was very difficult for the rescue to take them in since they were full, but the dogs had nowhere else to go.

“We were scrambling, thinking where can we put these animals? We literally have nowhere to put them.”

Rehkop said thankfully the rescue had extra kennels at their clinic to house the animals until they have a home for them.

“The immediate issue is we need fosters, we need people to help us provide a safe place for these animals to go so they can get adopted.”

Rehkop said Rescue One will have an event this Saturday called the Canine Classic.

“It’s our yearly fundraiser we put on,” she said. “It’s a golf tournament people can sign up for at Rivercut.”

She said there will be adoptable dogs at each hole people can meet and get to know.

Rehkop said now is the time animals are in the most need of aid, and any donation can help save an animal’s life. If you would like to donate, foster, or adopt cats or dogs, visit Rescue One’s website.

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